154 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



immense satisfaction of knowing through said ' Times ' 

 that whilst we were experiencing the heat of an ex- 

 aggerated English summer, our friends at home 

 had a ' seasonable ' Christmas, which, in other words, 

 means one of thorough enjoyment and health to the 

 young and vigorous, and of intense misery and death to 

 the poor and infirm. 



Munsinger Pasha has sent a few lines to let us 

 know that there has been no alteration in the dates of 

 departure of the Red Sea steamers. The time has now 

 arrived for a great change to take place in our arrange- 

 ments, one that has long been contemplated, and only 

 delayed until the arrival of Abdullah. It is the division 

 of our party into two, so that we may interfere less 

 with one another's sport ; and whilst Vivian and myself 

 \vill remain in the neighbourhood of the Settite, Coke 

 and Cumming have chosen to return to the Hamran 

 village and make a fresh start to the Salaam, another 

 tributary of the Nile to the south of the Settite. They 

 could reach equally soon, if not sooner, by striking due 

 south from here, but the camel-men declare that it would 

 be a four days' journey without water, and they therefore 

 refuse to undertake it. By mutual agreement Emanuel, 

 Bob, and Abdullah go with them, whilst Albert, Mo- 

 hamed, and Hadji Basheer with his donkey stay with us ; 

 and to make up for the deficiencies of the old soldier, we 

 retain the valuable services of Ibrahim. The afternoon 



